Ikaw (w Tabs) by Regine Velasquez - Fingerstyle Guitar Cover Tutorial

This is a guitar fingerstyle tutorial of the song by Regine Valasquez/Sharon Cuneta "Ikaw".  This song was also popularized by Martin Nieverra.   I used key of "C" in this fingerstyle tutorial.

Here is lyrics of the first part of the song:

"Ikaw ang bigay ng Maykapal
Tugon sa aking dasal
Upang sa lahat ng panahon
Bawat pagkakataon
Ang ibig ko'y ikaw....."

You can download the guitar tablature by clicking the button below.  The sheet includes the lyrics and chords of the song for easy learning.

CAD U37 USB Microphone Setup - How to Hear Mic Input onto Speaker or Headphone

In this video, I showed how to setup the CAD U37 USB Microphone in PC using Window 7.  I set the basic configuration within Windows Control Panel to set the mic to be audible in the PC speakers.

CAD U37 USB Microphone Unboxing and Test

I purchased a condenser microphone for my guitar recording.  This is CAD U37 USB Microphone.  It has an amazing sound reproduction, clear recording and eliminates most of the room noise.  I connect this one directly to USB port of my PC and used with a software called Audacity. It comes with long USB cable as well.  Have a look at my video unboxing of this mic and view my first time use and demo.




Features:
*  Large condenser microphone element for warm, rich recordings
*  Cardioid pick-up pattern minimizes background noise and isolates the main sound source
*  Smooth, extended frequency response is excellent for singing, speech and instruments
*  It has 10dB overload-protection switch minimizes distortion from loud sound sources
*  Bass-reduction switch reduces room noise

Guitar Strings Change from Martin FX to D'Addario EJ15

I replaced my guitar strings (Martin FX) with D'Addario EJ15 Extra Light Phosphor Bronze strings. The Martin FX Custom Light strings was 6 months old when I changed it with a new set of EJ15.  I played the guitar before and after replacement to hear the difference between the old and new strings.

Doon Lang (with TABS) by Nonoy Zuniga - Guitar Fingerstyle Tutorial

Another OPM song popularized by Nonoy Zuniga.  I have included the guitar TAB in this video tutorial for easy learning of the song.

You may also download free guitar tab by clicking the button below.

Grow Old With You (free TABS) by Adam Sandler - Guitar Cover Fingerstyle...

I remake the "Grow Old With You" by Adams Sandler guitar tutorial. This time I included the guitar tabs along with the video for easy learning.

You may also like to download the free guitar tablature.  Just click the button below to download.

Dunlop Pegwinder Guitar String Winder Series 100 - Demo on How to Use

Dunlop string winder or pegwinder is an easy to use tool in guitar string replacement.  The tool includes the smooth rotating string winder / unwinder and bridge pin puller for steel string acoustic guitar.  In this video I showed how easy it is to use this guitar tool. 

Ikaw ang Aking Mahal by VST & Co.- Cover Fingerstyle Guitar Tutorial

This is a fingerstyle tutorial of the hit Philippines song by VST & Company in the 70's, "Ikaw ang Aking Mahal".  There is a Malaysian version of this song entitled "Jika Kau Bercinta Lagi" which was sung by Allycats.  You can download the tab by clicking the button below.

Here is the lyrics of the song in Tagalog:


Verse I:
Itanong mo sa akin
Sinong aking mahal
Itanong mo sa akin
At sagot koy di magtatagal

Chorus:
Ikaw lang ang aking mahal
Ang pag-ibig mo'y aking kailangan
Pag-ibig na walang hangganan
Ang aking tunay na nararamdaman

Verse II:
Isa lang ang damdamin
Ikaw ang aking mahal
Maniwala ka sana
Sa akin ay walang iba

Repeat Chorus

Refrain:
Ang Nais ko sanang inyong malaman (Nais ko sana)
Sa Hilaga o sa Timog o Kanluran (Sa Silangan)
At kahit san pa man
Ang aking isisigaw
Ikaw ang aking mahal

Cordoba C3M Classical Guitar First Look

Description from the manufacturer: One of the most popular models and a staple in the Iberia Series lineup, the Cordoba C3M is a full-sized, handcrafted guitar. It is built with the traditional Spanish fan bracing, a solid cedar top and mahogany back and sides. The C3M also has a hand inlaid wooden rosette, a rosewood fingerboard, and nickel plated tuning machines with pearl buttons. The "M" in the title stands for its light matte finish.

Specs:

Top	Solid Canadian Cedar
Back & Sides	Mahogany
Binding/Bridge	Black ABS Binding / Rosewood bridge
Purfling/Inlay	White and black ABS top
Rosette	All natural wood inlaid
Finish	Satin (Matte)
Neck/Fingerboard	Nato neck / Rosewood fingerboard
Truss Rod	Two-way adjustable, 4mm
Scale Length	650mm (25.6")
Nut Width	52mm (2.04")
String Spacing at Saddle	59mm
Fret Marker Inlays	Mother-of-Pearl at 5, 7, 9, 12
Nut/Saddle	Bone
Number of Frets	12 to body, 19 Total
Bracing/Build	Spanish 7 fan bracing
Body Width & Length	375mm (14.75 inches) width at lower bout, 1,003mm (39.5 inches) total length
Overall Length	39"
Body Depth	Standard Spanish Classic Body Depth, 95mm upper bout / 100mm lower bout (3.7 / 3.9 inches)
Tuning Machines	Nickel Plated with Pearl Buttons
Strings	Savarez Cristal Corum in High Tension 500CJ
Electronics	NA
Tap Plate/Pick Guard	NA
Case	NA

Acoustic Guitar Comparison: Acoustic Steel String Guitar vs Classical Nylon String Classical Guitar

In this video I made a basic comparison between the two acoustic guitars, the steel string acoustic guitar and the nylon string classical guitar.  I used my two guitars, Takamine G340S and Cordoba C3M to illustrate the differences between the two types.   I compared the body shape and size, the fretboard, headstock, etc. I also played both guitars to hear the difference in the tone.

Kung Sakali (Cover) Guitar Fingerstyle Tutorial

Kung Sakali - a Filipino song popularized by Pabs Dadivas in the 70's, and later on it was also sang by Ogie Alcasid and Michael Pangilinan.  Have a look at my video on the fingerstyle guitar tutorial of this song.

Here is the lyrics:

Buhay ko ay sa iyo lamang
Hinding-hindi magbabago ang isip ko
Tunay ang pagtingin
Sana'y ganun ka rin giliw

At kung sakali man ikaw ay
Mayron ng ibang minamahal, minamahal
At kung sakali mang tuluyan
Ng mawalay ang pag-ibig mo, sa piling ko

At kung sakali man magdusa
Ito'y aking matitiis, maghirap man o maghinagpis
Baka sakaling mahal mo pa ako

Di mo ba maunawaan
Pag-ibig na inalay ko sa iyo'y tapat
Pagkat ako ngayon, nangangamba
Sa iyo giliw

Habang May Buhay (by Wency Cornejo - After Image) Guitar Fingerstyle Tutorial

Here is a great song by Wency Cornejo (After Image Band), Habang May Buhay.  I  made a very simple fingerstyle guitar tutorial on this song using my Takamine G-series acoustic guitar.

Here is the lyrics: 

Nais kong mabuhay sa haba ng panahon
Kung ito'y lilipas na ika'y kapiling ko
Ang aking buhay, ang aking buhay
Sa 'yo'y ibibigay

Tangi kong panalangin ay pagsamo mo
Kailanma'y di magmamaliw ang apoy sa puso ko

[Chorus:]
Habang may buhay, habang may buhay
Hangga't ang dugo ko ay dumadaloy
Sa 'yo lamang iaalay
Ang aking buhay, ang aking buhay
Sa 'yo'y ibibigay

At kung tayo'y magwawalay ako'y mabibigo
Di na nanaisin pang ituloy ang buhay ko

[repeat chorus]

Oh

[Bridge:]
Ibig kong malaman mo
Hanggang sa dulo ng mundo
Ang pangarap ko'y sa 'yo

Ang aking buhay, ang aking buhay
Sa 'yo'y (sa 'yo'y) ibibigay

Hanggang Ngayon (by Ogie and Regine) Guitar Tutorial Fingerstyle Cover

This time, I made a fingerstyle guitar tutorial on the OPM (Original Pilipino Music) song popularized by Ogie Alcasid duet with Regine Valasquez, Hanggang Ngayon.  This song was originally released on Year 2009 by Viva Records Corporation.

You can download the tab that I wrote by clicking the button below:

Here is the lyrics of the song:


Bakit di magawang limutin ka
Bawat sandali'y ika'y naaalala
Tangi kong dasal sa Maykapal
Makapiling kang muli.

Bakit dika maalis sa isip ko
Ikaw ang laging laman nitong puso ko
Kahit pilitin kong damdamin magbago
Ikaw pa rin ang hinahanap ko

Refrain:

Hanggang ngayon,
Ikaw pa rin ang iniibig ko
Ikaw pa rin ang natatanging pangarap ko
Ikaw lamang
Hanggang ngayon

Ikaw lang ang tunay na minamahal
Ikaw lang hinihintay
ko ng kaytagal.

Ikaw ang ligaya,
Ang buhay at pag-asa
Ikaw lang, wala ng iba
kaya't

(Repeat Refrain)

Dapat ba nating pagbigyan
Ang ating mga puso muli pang buksan
At ibibigay lahat ang pag-ibig na tapat.
Sa iyo.
Sa iyo.

Hanggang ngayon,
Ikaw pa rin ang iniibig ko
Ikaw pa rin ang natatanging pangarap ko
Hindi ko na kayang mag-isa
Ikaw lamang,
Ikaw lamang,
Ikaw lamang,
ikaw lamang,
Hanggang ngayon.

Auld Lang Syne Basic Fingerstyle Guitar Tutorial for Beginners

Here is a basic fingerstyle tutorial of the song Auld Lang Syne.

Amazing Grace Basic Fingerstyle Guitar Tutorial

Just a simple fingerstyle tutorial of the song Amazing Grace.  In this video I just used 3 basic chords C - F - G.  Normally, there is also Am in the song, but it was not included in this video. Cheers.

D'Addario Planetwaves NS Lite Capo Demo on Takamine Acoustic Guitar

Another interesting product from Planet Waves is this NS Capo.  There are 3 types of this capo, namely, NS Guitar Capo Pro, NS Guitar Capo Lite, and NS Classical Capo.  In my video, I feature only the NS Guitar Capo Lite.  This capo has a unique design and quite easy to use.  Unlike other capo with spring, this capo uses a screw that can be adjusted slowly until reaching the optimum tightness.  This design assures that guitar stays in tune. 


Description from D'Addario:   The NS Capo Lite uses a durable molded ABS thermoplastic construction to offer the most lightweight and cost effective choice. Ideal for use on all acoustic and electric 6 string guitars the NS Capo Lite can be adjusted to provide the exact tension need for your guitar. Designed for guitars with radiused fretboards, the NS Capo Lite greatly reduces the need to retune after applying your capo.

Snark SN-1 and Samsung Galaxy S4 App Guitar Tuner Comparison

It would be interesting to see the comparison between guitar electronic tuner and mobile phone app tuner.  Here in my video, I tested the Snark SN-1 tuner and Samsung Galaxy S4 tuner App Pitch Lab.  These 2 tuners are using different sensors.  The Snark SN-1 is using vibration sensor which detects the string vibration from the guitar head stock.  The Samsung smart phone App uses the phone microphone to assess the frequency of the sound it receive.  With this sound frequency, the App shows the corresponding guitar note or key.  It is amazing that both tuners gave good results and exactly the same values.  However, in a noisy environment, the smartphone App cannot be used since the noise mixes with the sound coming from the guitar string thereby giving false frequency value.  Please view my video demo. Thanks.

Guitar Tuning with Snark SN-1 Clip-on Chromatic Tuner

On my previous video, I unboxed and tested the Snark SN-1 Clip-on chromatic tuner.  This time, I did a detailed video tutorial on how to use this Snark SN-1 guitar tuner.  I did a standard tuning on my Epiphone acoustic guitar.  This chromatic tuner is quite easy to use and accurate. 

Checkout my easy to follow tutorial showing standard guitar tuning E-A-D-G-B-E.   Just a little note for beginners, the 6th string is the thickest string and the 1st string is the thinnest string.

Standard Tuning:
1st String - e
2nd String - B
3rd String - G
4th String - D
5th String - A
6th String - E

Snark SN-1 Tuner Test and Demo Guitar Tuning

Another great guitar tuner is the Snark SN-1.  This is easy to use tuner which is being clip-on the guitar headstock.  It features full color display that can easily be seen.  Similar to other clip-on tuners, this Snark SN-1 has vibration sensor which detects string vibration to get accurate frequency for tuning.  It has 360 degree rotation display which is easy to position on guitar headstock for a more comfortable location while tuning the guitar.  In this video I unboxed a brand new Snark SN-1 tuner and did a short tuning demonstration with my Takamine acoustic guitar.

Features:

• With stay put clip, display rotates 360 degrees for easy viewing
• Features frequency range tailored for guitar and bass
• Pitch Calibration (415-466 Hz)
• Tap Tempo Metronome
• High sensitivity vibration sensor

Fender Mini Guitar Stand - Unboxing and Demo

If you have a guitar, it is always a good idea to have a good guitar stand together with it.  This guitar stand should be stable enough to hold the guitar in place.  In this video I featured a small guitar stand made by Fender.  This guitar stand is lightweight, portable and compact.  This can be easily folded thereby quite easy to carry. It can even fit in some guitar cases.  This Fender mini guitar stand can be used for hollow acoustic guitar as well as solid body electric guitars and basses.  Please have a look at my video to see how to setup this Fender guitar stand.  I used this stand on my acoustic guitar.

Fender Guitar Chromatic Tuner FT-004 Test and Demo Tuning

Here is another new tool that I purchased online.  This time I got one chromatic tuner, Fender FT-004.  With the help of electronics, even guitar tuning became very easy even for beginners. You do not need special musical ear to tune a guitar at this stage.

In this video I tried and demoed the Fender Chromatic Tuner. It s a straight forward device that is to be attached to guitar's headstock while tuning. It is small and very light. Using the guitar tuner is quite easy. The tuner senses the guitar string vibration from the headstock and not the sound of the string, so this device can be used even in the noisy environment.  There is large display of the guitar note so that you can see which note is being played and how close it is to the right tune with arrow indicator.  Watch my video to see my actual demo of this Fender FT-004 chromatic tuner.   The guitar I used for this demo was Takamine G Series acoustic guitar.

Guitar Setup: Action or String Height Adjustment on Acoustic Guitar

Edwin here again and this is another DIY adjustment on my guitar. This time, I worked on my Takamine G340S G Series acoustic guitar.  I was a little bit not satisfied with the guitar action (string height) of this guitar. After playing this guitar for a couple of weeks, I noticed that the action was too high for me. I decided to make some adjustment on the saddle to make the action a little bit lower. I am not an expert guitar tech or luthier. I just learned doing this by watching some YouTube video tutorials on guitar setup.

I took a chance and sanded down the bridge saddle.  After sanding the saddle, the string height of the 6th string on the 12th fret was reduced.  It was measured at 3.5mm before and then it dropped down to approximately 3.0 mm. I knew that this was still high but I stopped at that point since I was worried that if I continued sanding there might be fret buzz problem afterwards and there was no going back.   For my first attempt on working on saddle, I think it was a success DIY after all. I was able to achieve the guitar playability that I wanted for now.  Although 3mm was still a little bit high.  And I learned later that it is better to set it about 2.5mm or less without causing any fret buzz.  Watch the video for more information.

D'Addario Planet Waves Guitar Pro-Winder

I am beginning to like working on my guitar, such as cleaning and changing strings.  Then I purchased a new tool online and got it within a few days.  The new tool I got for my guitar is D'Addario Planet Waves guitar pro-winder. This guitar winder is very easy to use and it has 3-in-1 function.  These functions are winder, cutter and bridge pin puller. It has good quality material unlike cheap plastic which are common to low cost guitar winder.  The bridge pin puller is also handy and won't damage the bridge.  However,  for tight bridge pins, I don't think this plastic material is strong enought to pull them out.  I showed how to use it in this video.  Unfortunately, I was not able to show the cutter function as I did not have excess string to be cut. Have a look on my video to see how to use it. Thanks.

Guitar Truss Rod Adjustment on Epiphone AJ-220S Acoustic Guitar

This video is my first attempt on adjusting truss rod.  I did this on my Epiphone AJ-220S acoustic guitar.  I am not an expert on this adjustment and I just followed some YouTube guitar maintenance tutorial videos.  I did a little bit of truss rod adjustment to minimize fret buzz which I noticed when I replaced my guitar strings with D'Addario Silk and Steel strings set.  These strings had lower tension compared to previous strings that were installed on this Epiphone guitar.  The low tension of strings caused less pull on the guitar neck by the strings thereby making the neck bowed outward a little.  To balance out, I reduced the truss rod tension by turning the adjustment head anti-clockwise.  With a little turn on the truss rod nut, I managed to get good results. 

How to play Anak (by Freddie Aguilar) - Guitar Tutorial

When I was in high school, I remembered I was playing the hit song by Fredie Aguilar entitled Anak.   After many years of not playing, I tried to remember this song and practiced playing it again.  After a few days of practice and playing, I decided to make a video tutorial to share to other guitar beginners who wanted to learn how to play this song.

This is just a simple guitar plucking tutorial on how to play "Anak", a popular Filipino song by Freddie Aguilar.  This song "Anak" (Child in English) was recorded in the 70's. Due to the meaningful message coupled with sentimental melody and distinct instrumental, it became international hit and even translated in many languages.   

Anak lyrics:
Nang isilang ka sa mundong ito
Laking tuwa ng magulang mo
At ang kamay nila ang iyong ilaw
At ang nanay at tatay mo'y
Di malaman ang gagawin
Minamasdan pati pagtulog mo
At sa gabi'y napupuyat ang iyong nanay
Sa pagtimpla ng gatas mo
At sa umaga nama'y kalong ka
Ng iyong amang tuwang-tuwa sa iyo

Ngayon nga ay malaki ka na
Nais mo'y maging malaya
Di man sila payag
Walang magagawa
Ikaw nga ay biglang nagbago
Naging matigas ang iyong ulo

At ang payo nila'y sinuway mo
Di mo man lang inisip na
Ang kanilang ginagawa'y para sa iyo
Pagkat ang nais mo'y
Masunod ang layaw mo
Di mo sila pinapansin

Nagdaan pa ang mga araw
At ang landas mo'y naligaw
Ikaw ay nalulong sa masamang bisyo
At ang una mong nilapitan
Ang iyong inang lumuluha
At ang tanong,"anak, ba't ka nagkaganyan"
At ang iyong mata'y biglang lumuha ng di mo pinapansin
Nagsisisi at sa isip mo'y
Nalaman mong ika'y nagkamali
Nagsisisi at sa isip mo'y
Nalaman mong ika'y nagkamali
Nagsisisi at sa isip mo'y
Nalaman mong ika'y nagkamali
Nagsisisi at sa isip mo'y
Nalaman mong ika'y nagkamali

"Music Nomad The Guitar One" on Cleaning and Polishing Guitar

Part of owning a guitar is to keep the guitar in clean and tidy condition. With this in mind I went to the guitar shop where I bought my Epiphone and Takamine acoustic guitars and looked for a good guitar cleaner and polish. Since I am new to guitar cleaners, I asked the sales person and he recommended product called Music Nomad The Guitar One Polish. I purchased the product he recommended and when I reached home I tried this product on my Takamine acoustic guitar and I was really impressed with the results. It was also very easy to apply and there was no residue build up.

This Music Nomad The Guitar One Polish made my guitar so shiny and free from finger prints. Take note that this is not to be used on bare wood such as the fret board and guitar bridge but can also be used on machine heads or tuners. Since this polish will make everything glossy, this is not to be used on any matte finished guitars. Aside from guitars, this can also be used to clean or polish other musical instruments to make them glossy.  Please watch my video below to learn more and see the actual demonstration.

Grow Old with You (Adam Sandler) Guitar Tutorial

After talking with my friend about my guitar journey,  he recommended that I play or do a tutorial video on how to play "Grow Old with You" by Adam Sandler.  At first I was hesitant as I haven't heard that song.  Then, I watched a couple of videos, as well as the movie which used this song as the main theme, then I eventually liked the song and started learning it on guitar.  First I learned the chords, then I followed the melody.

So after I learned to play this song, here is another fingerstyle guitar tutorial that I made. This time I showed how to play "Grow Old With You" by Adam Sandler. Adam Sandler sang this song in the hit movie The Wedding Singer, which he co-stars Drew Barrymore. This is just a basic guitar fingerstyle for beginners and I think it is easy to follow. Just concentrate on the chords and the tune of the melody. I derived the melody notes from the chords. Please feel free to view my video tutorial.




I have also written guitar tablature or guitar tabs for this song.  This is just basic arrangement and great for beginner guitarists.  This guitar tabs is free to download.

Download tabs here:  Grow Old With You TABS

My Takamine G Series G340S Acoustic Guitar

I went to the guitar shop and tried to test some acoustic guitars on display as well as check out what is on sale.  I immediately focused my attention on the dreadnought acoustic guitar made by Takamine.  I asked the salesperson if I can play with the guitar.  The person agreed and gave me some insights about the guitar.  The guitar was Takamine G-Series G340S.  I played with the guitar and I loved the tone and feel.  Until such time that I could not resist anymore,  this Takamine G340S ended in my living room that afternoon.  I made a basic guitar review and had given basic guitar specification on this video. Just like my Epiphone AJ220S, this guitar also has a solid spruce top. It has great tone and sustain. Another thing I liked with this instrument is that it is easy to play.  Although, the action is a little bit high for me but that can be easily be adjusted. The guitar came with D'Addario EXP16 Phosphor Bronze coated steel strings. Please feel free to watch my video and hear the sound of this Takamine G-series guitar. 


Takamine G340S NS Specifications
Body Shape: Dreadnought
Top:  Solid Spruce
Back: Mahogany
Sides: Mahogany
Finish: Natural Satin
Fingerboard: Rosewood
Sound hole inlay: Abalone Ring
Tuners: Gold Plated

How to play "Bayan Ko" - Acoustic Guitar (Cover) Fingerstyle Tutorial

This time I made a basic fingerstyle guitar tutorial of the famous patriotic Philippines song entitled "Bayan Ko".  The original song was said to be written in Spanish by a Filipino poet. 


Here is the Filipino lyrics of the song:


Ang bayan kong Pilipinas,
lupain ng ginto't bulaklak.
Pag-ibig na sa kanyáng palad,
nag-alay ng ganda't dilág.
At sa kanyáng yumi at ganda,
dayuhan ay nahalina.
Bayan ko, binihag ka.
Nasadlak sa dusa.

Ibon mang may layang lumipad,
kulungin mo at umiiyak.
Bayan pa kayáng sakdál dilág,
ang 'dì magnasang makaalpás?
Pilipinas kong minumutyâ,
pugad ng luhà ko't dalita.
Aking adhika,
makita kang sakdál laya.


And below is the Spanish version:


Nuestra Patria Filipina,
cuya tierra es de oro y púrpura.
Tantos tesoros guarda en su lar
que tientan al hurtador.
Y es por eso que el anglosajón
con vil traición la subyuga,
Patria mía en prisión
sacúdete del traidor.

Aún el ave libre en su volar,
llora cuando en la jaula está,
cuanto más nuestra Patria de amor
al verse sin paz ni dignidad.
Filipinas de mi corazón
tus hijos jamás permitirán
que así te robe
tu bienestar y libertad.

The Climb (Miley Cyrus) Guitar Cover - Basic Fingerstyle Tutorial

This video is a basic guitar fingerstyle tutorial of the song, The Climb. I am not an expert nor professional guitarist. This is just a simple way to share my hobby with others. I am sorry for the background noise in the recording as this was recorded in my living room with all windows open. I played the Epiphone AJ220S acoustic guitar when recording this video

I have written the guitar tablature for this song.  If you are interested to have a copy, you can download the free guitar TABs by clicking the button below.

By the way, this song, The Climb, was originally performed by Miley Cyrus and this was sung in the Hannah Montana The Movie.  Checkout the album Hannah Montana The Movie to hear the original song and learn what other great songs are included in the album.

Epiphone AJ-220S Guitar Stock Strings VS D'Addario EZ900 Bronze Strings

As I mentioned in my previous blog, I replaced the stock strings of my Epiphone AJ-220S acoustic guitar with D’Addario EZ900 Extra Light strings.  The stock strings for this acoustic guitar had light gauge and the replacement strings set that I purchased was extra light gauge.  I wanted to test and feel the difference in string tension.  I wanted to go for thinner strings as I haven’t played for a very long time and my fingers get soar easily with higher tension strings.

Here is the video when I did the string replacement. This was my first string replacement on this acoustic guitar. I think the strings were not yet properly stretched when I took this video and the guitar was not perfectly tune.  I have to admit it that I still need a lot of practice on guitar restringing and need to learn proper technique as well.  

D'Addario EJ40 Silk and Steel and EZ900 85/15 Bronze String Comparison

I started playing a little bit more of my Epiphone AJ220S guitar. From stock string, I replaced the strings with D'Addario EZ900 85/15. However, the tone of these strings was not really for my taste. It seemed to be to bright for my taste.  But of course, it really depends on the players preference.  Some guitar players like warm tone, while others like it bright, and some players prefer well balanced tone acoustics. And it also depends to the type of music that they are playing.  The playability of these string set is quite good since this set is extra light. They were easy on my fingers.

After a few weeks, I decided to replace them again with another set. This time I tried the D'Addario EJ40 Silk and Steel strings. The sound from these strings was warm and mellow. This was what I wanted to hear that time, especially on guitar plucking or fingerpicking. It was easy to play as well and the tension seems to be very low. One thing I do not like was that this set had less volume compared to other strings I tried before. And I do not think these strings were good for strumming. You can hear the difference on this video. Feel free to watch it.

Planet Waves (D'Addario) Acoustic Guitar Ratchet Capo

Since having this Epiphone guitar, I played it every day as I enjoyed the great sound coming from this guitar. Then I came across one song that it was not so easy for my pitch.  I am not a singer thus I had only a very short range.  I tried to do some chord variations until I reached the perfect pitch for me. However, this happened not only on one song. And I realized that the easiest way was to use a guitar capo.
I purchased one, D'Addario Planet Waves ratchet capo and I showed it in the video below.

In this video I tried the Planet Waves capo on my Epiphone AJ220S acoustic guitar. The product worked for me. It was easy to use and it was of good quality.  Only thing that I did not like about this ratchet-style capo was that, you have to be careful in installing it. Otherwise, it bends the string a little bit down and your guitar is out of tune while capo is on. Other than that, it is great.  The capo held firmly and sound with capo was impressive. The capo is very light, thus no extra weight on the guitar neck. It is very easy to install and to remove, plus the price of this capo is very affordable.

Epiphone AJ-220S VS Acoustic Guitar Review and Demo

I purchased this guitar after my old guitar broke down.  This guitar has amazing tone.  A lot of Epiphone AJ220S owners love their guitars.  For a very reasonable price, you really get more what you paid for.  Epiphone guitars are made by Gibson family.


Here is the description from Epiphone about AJ220S:

The AJ-220S has a unique bell-like shape, a larger lower bout, and a small round upperbout which gives this new addition to our Advanced Jumbo family of guitars a unique voice. And the AJ-220S is made with Epiphone’s century’s worth of experience in crafting world-class guitars that are meant to be played.

Acoustic guitar players know it’s difficult to find an instrument that has both a deep bass tone and crisp loud projection. On a small stage with an acoustic band and little amplification, a good acoustic guitar should be able be heard and anchor a band. The AJ220S’s strong and balanced tone will make other acoustic players who have spent much more on their guitars wish they had gone to Epiphone instead. Like all our Epiphone acoustics, the AJ220S is legendary for being easy to set up and for staying in tune so no matter how much playing time you have, it's ready to go.

Specifications:
Shape: Acoustic Jumbo
Top: Solid Sitka Spruce
Body: Select Mahogany
Neck: Mahogany, glued, Dove-Tail Joint
Neck Profile: Slim Taper™
Fingerboard: Rosewood
Fingerboard Inlay: Perloid Dot Inlay
Scale: 25.5"
Nut: 1.69"
Hardware: Nickel
Machine Heads: Premium Tuners
Color: VS (Vintage Sunburst) 
Other Color Available: NA (Natural)

Easy Guitar Tuning using Android App in Samsung Galaxy Smartphone

As part of the Smartphone trend is using various Apps.  One of these is the use of a guitar tuner App.   In this video I demonstrated on how to use a guitar tuner App or application to tune my acoustic guitar.    The name of the App I used here was Pitch lab.  It was easy to use and I was able to tune my guitar in just a short while.  Check out the video and learn how to do it yourself.  Now, since most of us have Smartphone, there is no more reason that we cannot tune our own guitars.

This is a sample tuning on my old RJ Guitar. I used an Android App on my Samsung Galaxy Ace.  Unfortunately, this guitar did not last long after taking this video as the bridge was pulled off from the guitar body.   But basically, this started my guitar journey.

This blog is about my hobby, which is guitar playing.  I show in this blog my guitars, some videos of my guitar fingerpicking basic tutorials and anything I encounter about my guitars.